Shale Gas Rural Economy Impacts

The Government Department DEFRA produced a report looking into the impact of the shale gas (fracking) industry on rural communities, including house prices. It then tried to heavily censor it’s own report (sorry, state secret – Telegraph), which was paid for by taxpayers to inform the debate. After a legal challenge, the government was ordered to publish the report in full. It said:

“House prices in close proximity to the drilling operations are likely to fall.”

“Properties … may also incur an additional cost of insurance to cover losses in case of explosion on the site. Such an event would clearly have social impacts…”

Case Study

Marie and Rowland Taylor lost £50,000 when they sold their house near Cuadrilla’s Roseacre site, where planning permission for fracking was recently turned down.

“We managed eventually to sell the house. We had 3 people desperate to buy but because of the fracking they couldn’t bring themselves to live in that area. We eventually sold it to someone who lived locally but unfortunately at a very big loss, just over £50,000.”